2 Catholic priests stabbed to death in historic Peruvian monastery; police suspect robbers

Police: 2 priests slain in historic Peru monastery

LIMA, Peru — Police in Peru say two Roman Catholic priests have been stabbed to death inside a historic monastery two blocks from the capital’s main square.

The victims are identified as Ananias Aguila of Peru and Linan Ruiz of Puerto Rico.

Homicide department chief Miguel Canlla says they were slain before dawn Friday. Police suspect a robbery, but Canlla did not say whether objects of value were missing.

The two clerics ran a soup kitchen for the poor, and Ruiz directed religious youth groups.

They were slain at the San Francisco monastery. It is a popular tourist stop with religious paintings, sculptures and ornamentation dating to the 16th century.